Leveraging the Power of Camp: A Study of Christian Summer Camp and Family Faith Practices

Abstract: This article explores early findings from the Growing Faith Together project, which seeks to leverage the power of Christian summer camp experiences for family faith formation. This longitudinal study gathered data from over a thousand parents from nine different summer camps across the country. Findings reveal that Christian summer camps have overall positive impacts on family faith formation but that impact varies across camps and may be related to targeted intervention strategies.

Rachael Botting, Ph.D., is a disciple of Jesus, mom of boys, and Christian camp practitioner scholar. She served as a program manager at HoneyRock in Three Lakes, Wisconsin for 10 years before returning to her New York roots with their family in 2023. She is the assistant director of the Growing Faith Together project, which allows her to study and consult with Christian camps as they explore partnerships with families and churches. She lives in Palmyra, New York, where she enjoys ample outdoor time with her one-, three-, and five-year-old boys.